Creatures of the underworld
by Vain x Life Poetess
Summary: One-shot. Crossover with Underworld. After losing Sonja, he finds love four centuries later but history always repeats itself.


**"We are no better than the beasts at our door."**

**~Viktor in Underworld: Rise of the Lycans**

Katherine gave a sideways glance to Lucian. "You were right"

"About what?"

"This. This is no way to live."

"It doesn't matter now. We are both going to die." He said stating the obvious looking away. He could not bare seeing her sad eyes. Since Henry turned her all she had known was sadness and horror and now she will know suffering. And it is your fault, a voice in his head said.

"At least we got to know each other."

"You thought I was the devil."

"I thought many things and I was wrong. Lucian I want you to know that whatever happens after today, none of it is your fault. It's mine. I should have gone with you. I am sorry that I kept you here, locked up in this prison."

"Don't-" he interrupted her reaching across the bars from the cell next to her, grabbing her hand. "Don't apologize. None of this your fault. Whatever happens we will go together."

"And Mary?"

A sad smile crossed Lucian's face. He wanted to tell her she was safe but how could he know that she would betray him. The woman's heart was a mystery and he could never be sure whom he trusted. When he dared to love, Viktor killed his own daughter to prevent her from giving birth to an abomination. He didn't even wait for her to miscarry, he executed them both. Now that his daughter lived, he would not risk her health and her life, even to please her mother.

"She is safe and that is all that matters." He said tightening his grip.

Katherine smiled back understanding he was keeping secrets from her. Many names sprung to mind. The Seymours, the Poles, the exiled Yorkist families, all families who passed off as normal humans or vampires but were really Lycans. Any one of them could be guarding her little girl.

"Thank you" she said releasing his hand. "For opening my eyes. I thought Henry would be a good King. My parents believed so too."

"Katherine-"

"I thought that he was my Sir Loyal Heart. He rode against the French wearing my favors. He said they suited him." He gave a snort "I should have known he was fucking Lady Woodville's daughter, Lady Katherine, his own Aunt, but then nothing surprises me with him anymore. I was a fool. I gave him a daughter, a trueborn daughter and his only thanks was giving me cold stones that offered me no warmth. If it weren't for you I would have never known comfort."

"You are your mother's eyes. I met the grand Queen Isabella before she expelled the Moors, it's been nearly twenty five years but I never forget how her eyes flashed the same color blue as yours. She tried so hard to hide her vampire ancestry but everyone at Court who knew where the Tratasmara line came from, knew the truth. When I heard you came to this court I thought you would be like her, and at first you were but I could not help be stunned by your beauty. I thought you were an angel."

"You flatter me."

"I am not. You are an angel to me." A fallen one, he thought, like Sonja but he dared not say it for fear of upsetting her.

But she did. "What about Sonja?" She asked evoking that long memory of his fallen beloved. "Was she an angel to you? It doesn't hurt me Lucian if you confess you love her more than you love me. I knew the risks I was taking when I fell in love with you. I knew that I reminded you of Sonja and I did not care." She said.

She had been the only one at Court who recognized him from the sketches of him. The fallen of Viktor's coven. He had earned that title despite being a Lycan. She still remembered when she first took notice of him. It had been after she'd given birth to her first daughter, Henry's daughter. She reminded herself sourly. Princess Victoria. A beautiful healthy girl who possessed her father's light brown hair, his dark grey eyes and inherited his cheerfulness. How she envied her. She took all of Henry's attention and left Katherine alone and desperate for comfort.

"I believed you were the devil at first and then you saved from that human, you, just a squire, the rebel Lycan. I could have reported you and tell everyone that I had uncovered the true leader of the Lycan rebellion but I chose not to because I had a life debt to you. And because I was curious, silly girl that I was, I was curious to know if the songs about you were true, if you were really a wounded soul or you were just a blood-thirsty warrior."

"You should have gone with your second instinct. You would still be Henry's Queen."

"Yes and then what? I would just be seen as another brood mare, forced to give him baby after baby. It would have been a prison, no different than the life you had under Viktor."

Viktor. That name again. A shudder went through Lucian's spine as he thought of the dark patriarch of the most powerful coven in Europe. He would not hesitate to kill them, just as he had killed his own daughter.

What more could he say to make this situation better? He had done the unthinkable -after he vowed never to love again, he opened his heart again and he only ended up getting hurt -again -he thought looking down on his feet.

"I love you Lucian, nothing will change that and I regret nothing. I have given myself to God and He will receive us in the afterlife. We can rest in peace knowing that we will see each other again."

He did not turn to look at her. His faith in God was something he could not -and would not- understand. Where was her God when Viktor took him prisoner after he found that he was the first of his kind? A Lycan with human form who could turn at will without the need of full moon? Where was God then?

The doors of their joint cell opened and they were dragged before a circular room. It had been built for occasions like this, to pass sentence on their kinds.

Viktor stood next to the King. He looked at his wife in disgust. To his surprise his four year old daughter was sitting next to him. Her look was a curious one. Like her father she ceased to think of her mother as one of their own and instead looked at her with disgust.

She was a little tyrant in the making just like her father. He smirked. He almost wished to have their daughter with him and be of the same age as her half-sibling and see what happened. He had no doubt in his mind that their little Mary being a hybrid would tear this little Princess to pieces. He almost smiled thinking of it, the little Princess ripped in half by his own daughter.

He was brought from his thoughts as Henry turned to either side, to his lords and asked the question they had been waiting for: "My lords what is your verdict?"

None dared to speak. This was the woman who had saved them from the dreaded Scots after all, England owed her, they owed her.

"My lords!"

Wolsey, her dire enemy, a daphir, half-human, half-vampire spoke. "My lords His Majesty was grievously injured, this is treason of the worst kind. It cannot be forgotten."

"It mustn't be forgotten. Wolsey is right. My lady, the Princess Katherine did me a grave injustice. She dishonored me and dishonored you. If we let her live we set a precedent -that any wife be her lowborn or highborn can cheat and put a cuckold on her husband's House and get away with it."

"Cheating wives? My lord King I agree this a grievous offense and she shouldn't be forgiven but might I suggest another punishment of a lesser kind? Our lady after all has served the realm, perhaps we should hear her speak before we pass harsh judgment on her for did not our Lord Christ say he who is free of sin cast the first stone?" Bishop Fisher interjected.

Some of the lords nodded. But Henry and Viktor wouldn't have it. They named again and again the grievous offenses.

Katherine had been silent the whole time until she could no longer bear it. When the lords began to argue amongst themselves she spoke up. Her voice high and her presence commanding respect. Everyone went silent.

"My lords! I have been loyal to this realm many times. I have saved you from Scottish invasion, protected you all against Lycan attacks. No one has been more loyal and merits no more credit than I."

"Yes you have my lady but how long were you sleeping with this Lycan right under our noses?" Thomas Howard, the Duke of Norfolk asked.

"Your Grace, you were there when we ordered the troops to take the field on Flodden."

"And how many innocent men died for your poor decisions?"

"I freed England from an invasion that would no doubt have happened if we had taken your course and offered peace terms."

"His Majesty was ready for peace terms. His Queen, His Majesty's sister said so."

"Her letter was a lie, everything she ever spoke has been a lie. You know this! All of you know this. I protected England, I and not the King while he was fighting his useless war that cost more men, money, and innocent lives and all for what? So he could return to us empty handed and only an insignificant town that he later gave away?" She spat, her voice filled with scorn. She had given James' blood stained coat to Henry, she had let him take credit for it and she had never said a word against it because that was her duty. To be the solemn, pliant, little wife -just like he wanted.

He was nothing. Without her there would be no England for him to rule. Viktor would have ruled in favor of James and Margaret, that she was sure of. He was an opportunist, as long as there was a human who favored the vampires or a vampire on the throne he did not care who ruled England or the rest of Europe for that matter.

The lords of the Privy Council were taken aback by her outburst. Katherine knew she had signed her death sentence doing this yet Bishop Fisher, ever the submissive and cowering man, suing for peace, in his last attempt he tried to save her life asking her for her one weakness. "If my lady could reveal to us where she is your services will not be forgotten."

"Services? I hardly count my defense of England a service, I was doing my duty after all as England's Queen and His Majesty's loyal wife."

"My lady you must remember your marriage was annulled weeks ago by the pope himself. It is only by the good faith argument that your daughter, Princess Victoria gets to keep her title and her position as His Majesty's heiress presumptive. You can still save yourself however. As Princess of Spain you are entitled to a fair trial and should you give us the location of the abomination you will be given sanctuary and you can spend the rest of your days in a nunnery of your choice given your piety it is a fair choice."

"Fair choice. You make me laugh Bishop Fisher. Flattery is not something I am used to. I have insulted His Majesty, I did it because I dared to love, I dared to make my own choice. I dared. Whereas His Majesty has been an adulterer, his mistresses I turn a blind eye to. I let him wounded me because I was a coward, I did not see the man I had in front of me was not a man. A man who is not loyal to his wife cannot be called a man."

Henry rose and screamed "You see! You hear her my lords? She dares to accuse me of treason when she was fucking that beast there!" The lords who were outraged nodded their heads and Bishop Fisher seeing his former Queen's cause was lot, sat down and could do nothing but nod with them, "She dares accuse me, your King, an anointed sovereign of treason! Will you let this pass?"

Viktor begin silent enough looked at the young woman below. Just like his daughter, Sonja. Except for her red hair, she could be her carbon copy. He had enough of the lords' squabbling and rose. "My lords. The King has been wronged not with a human or one of His Majesty and my kind but with a Lycan. A beast and she has given birth to an abomination. You know the penalty for this."

A grave silence followed as they all pondered o his words. Finally the verdict came and as Lucian feared, they all spoke the same word "Guilty." One after another.

Katherine showed no emotion, she remained composed during the whole ordeal.

Sir John Seymour, a man who had received several lands and grants after he rode with His Majesty and saved his life at the battle of the spurs along with his best friend, Charles Brandon, stood up and spoke the sentence just as he had rehearsed "Princess Katherine you are sentenced to death. You will be tied to the pillar of justice and wait until sunrise when you will burn."

Katherine knew this day was coming ever since her child's parentage was discovered, ever since Lucian had given her up to one of the families loyal to him. Looking closely at Sir John, she wondered how did he feel knowing that he was condemning the leader of the Lycan rebellion, of his own species, and his lover, to death.

Probably nothing, thought Katherine. The Seymours were known to be upstarts. Despite what Lucia said, to her, they were no different than the Howards and the Boleyns who were very eager to see her death so they could push that girl of theirs, Anne Boleyn in the King's path.

"My lords I accept the punishment and know the consequences for my actions but ask that I be given confession before my execution."

"Denied." The King spoke. "You will be brought immediately along with your Lycan lover and wait until sunset."

Lucian looked at Henry with piercing eyes. It was like reliving the past but he had no choice. He had to try. Unlike Sonja he would not appeal to Viktor's heart because he knew he had none but he would appeal to Henry because he knew deep down inside that cold duress there was one.

"Henry this is your wife, the mother of your child! Think about it, you are making your daughter an orphan! You are taking her mother away."

"No, I haven't. My child has no mother. She gave up her rights to me and our daughter when she gave birth to your monster. Rest assured Master Lucian, this will be on your conscience, you condemned two good women to death and no matter where she hides, I will find your daughter and give her to my dogs to eat."

Lucian looked from Viktor to Henry and shouted foul curses at them. He tried to escape the restraints they had put on them but the guards came and handcuffed him. Silver, he scowled. Before he had been whipped, nothing more.

Now Viktor added a new punishment, he shot a silver arrow through his back, so even if today was full moon, he would not turn.

Katherine did not protest as she watched her love being tortured. She was a Princess through and through and tears and cries would not help their cause anymore than lamenting would. This was their punishment and they would meet it with dignity.

She wished she could have been beheaded. At least then she would have given a full speech that would have made her legendary, for people always love legends, and they love watching their women hold their heads up high and say how much they should pray for the King and for the realm. If she had died that way, no doubt, everyone would remember her ...

She felt a tug at her dress and looked down at her daughter, Victoria. She was wearing a green dress, the same color as Katherine. Her eyes flashed dangerous at her but Katherine did not see it. She only saw her little girl, a girl she loved just as much as her younger sister, Mary.

"What is it my love?" She asked, trying to keep her tone calm but Victoria took notice of her tremble as they replaced the ropes that held her arms up with iron cuffs.

"Come to say goodbye to your mama?"

She did not respond.

"Know that I will always be with you. Always, even when I am gone, I will come and visit you from above. Remember to say your prayers, always obey your father, he is your lord and your King but above all always obey God. He is the father of us all."

"As you obeyed Him?" Her daughter retorted, her voice so soft, barely above a whisper but the way she asked it, it was like a knife had cut through Katherine's heart and she finally saw the hatred for her in her eyes.

"My love, I sinned and God will judge me for it, but I love you-"

She was interrupted by her coldness "You never loved me. If you did you would tell them the location of your bastard. You chose to love her instead-"

"My love!"

"She is your sister!" Both her and Lucian yelled but Victoria did not spare a single thought to Lucian. He was just a Lycan, a despicable beast. This was her mommy, her mama, her mother. And she was abandoning her for that bastard.

"I hate you."

Katherine mentally crossed herself and like her crucified God she asked Him to forgive her daughter for she did not know what she was saying.

"I hate you and I hope you burn and that he suffers and you suffer too! And I hope your bastard burns too!" She finished saying and ran back to join her papa who took her in his arms and comforted her, wiping her tears. He would force her to watch from a dark window as her mother burned. She didn't want to! She protested but her father quieted her and told her she must so she learned obedience and what happened to disobedient daughters. Her daughter would watch. Steeling herself she prepared herself, wiping a tear that fell down her left eye, and taking her dark brown bangs from her face.

It was not fair! She hated her mother. She did not even give her, her beautiful looks. She chose to give that bastard girl, her half sibling Mary instead her looks. She remembered when that girl was born. Everyone had rejoiced. Despite being another girl she was healthy but her scent had been ... weird. She smelled weird and she told her father so who waited outside the birthing chamber. She had only been allowed there because her papa indulged her on her every whim. Her papa came and smelled something weird too. But the believed that was because the Tratasmara had a mixed ancestry, human and vampires -although the latter they would never admit to it.  
Soon it got worse. When she turned a month old the secret got out. Her father's obscure squire turned out to be Lucian. He had hidden his scent very well but not that well. Viktor had come and spotted him and hearing about the strange scent around her sister, he knew what transpired. But before they could kill her sister, they smuggled her from the country.  
Her mother could save herself if she wanted to. She just needed to tell where her daughter was but no, she loved that bastard more than she loved her eldest daughter, her trueborn daughter.

"It is coming sweetheart." Henry whispered in her ear, holding her very close to her heart. "Soon it will all be over." She closed her eyes, she thought she could but she couldn't.

"Open your eyes." He said softly and she did and just as soon as she did, she watched the horror begin.

* * *

From inside. Katherine could feel it, she could feel it in her bones. The sun was coming up. Her ladies, those who had helped her and were loyal to their cause were locked up behind bars, behind Lucian. They screamed at him, begging him to save their mistress but Lucian could not. He could not turn with that arrow incrusted on his flesh.

Unlike Sonja there would be no last words, no tears, there was only a smile that came from her lips. This was it. She had made peace with her God and with herself.

"Katherine ... Katherine ..." He urged her. If she could fight, she had to. She had to try for them, for their child.

But she only smiled and when the dome opened to let the sun in, her smile turned wider. As if she could hear the birds signing, the voice of her mother, her forefathers, the Saints, God calling on to her, she raised her eyes to the sky and in an instant she was gone.

Lucian screamed, struggling against his chains.

The deed done, the dome was closed. Lucian continued screaming while her ladies, some cringed, others turned their heads away, and others joined the fallen Lycan, screaming curses at their sovereign and their own race for what they had done, seeing the Queen's body roasted, black. The smell of burnt flesh made some vomit.

From outside the room, Henry gripped his daughter tighter as she stared wide eyed at her mother's burnt corpse. She was too shocked for words. She did not turn her head for several minutes, if she had she would have seen her father's tear. Deep down, he still loved her. He had loved her more than all the rest, more than all the women he had slept with and he suspected, more than any other he would come to know.

And now she was gone -and thanks to that Lycan.

They were a curse, he thought. Ever since they had killed his parents and his older brother; he hunted them down. He had become Viktor's man. He vowed he would not rest until he rid England from every Lycan. Now he had a new mission. Finding that abomination. He did not lie when he told Lucian he did not care how long it took but he would find her and he would not kill her. Not right away. He would make her suffer, torture her until she was on her knees begging him to kill her. He wanted her to know the same despair he felt seeing her mother die.

In his grief Lucian collapsed. He dreamed of Katherine and Sonja, two opposing forces, his greatest loves standing side by side. One did not spoke. Katherine only smiled and signaled to the sword he was carrying, while Sonja dropped her shield and kicked it in his direction for him to pick up. "The fight is not yet over Lucian." She said. "Wake up."

He opened his eyes and looked around. He no longer felt pain in his back, in fact most of his wounds had healed, and he turned at the sound of a young woman's voice whispering to him. "The arrow Master Lucian." She pointed behind him and he saw that it had fallen. He gritted his teeth picking it up and hiding it under his sleeve. If only it had fallen earlier.

Henry and his councilors came along with Viktor. He felt no remorse for this woman. Although he reminded her of Sonja, she was not Sonja. His daughter would have fought and cried and screamed. This woman was nothing like her.

Their heads turned to the fallen Lycan whose head was down, hiding his sorrow.

"Fetch the executioner, tell him to hurry." Henry told them. He left his daughter with her new governess, Lady Bryan. Since the Poles' disappearance, he could think of no one better to take her of his Princess.

The executioner came and everyone waited for him to do the deed. As he was about to swung his axe, Lucian stopped him and grabbed his hands, forcing him to throw his weapon. He broke his chain in seconds and before everyone knew what was happening, executioner fell to the floor with his neck snapped.

Henry told the Captain of his guard to open the roof and that is where he noticed it was full moon and that the silver arrow was no longer on his back.

Lucian transformed before all of them and went straight to Henry but Viktor stood between them. He threw him and the others that came to protect their King off. Hearing the sounds of footsteps and remembering Sonja's words in his dreams he turned towards his lover's burnt corpse and saw her pearl rosary that belonged to her mother was the only thing that hadn't burnt. He took it from her and freed her ladies. Some of them who were part Lycans overpowered some of Henry's guards, the others who were regular humans were immediately slaughtered.

Lucian led them to safety, killing everyone and everything in his path.

At sunrise Lucian returned to his human form. He found his Lycan group in Hertfordshire. They were sorry for his loss and sorry they were not there to help him. Lucian said nothing. He stared down at the rosary and the golden cross below encrusted with sapphires. They reminded him of Katherine's eyes. _One day,_ he thought closing his fist and riding off again.

* * *

**Eight Years Later, **

**Antwerp...**

"Mary, mother told you to go to bed ten minutes ago." Mary turned to Reginald. She said in a cold voice that reminded her adopted brother of the former Queen.

"She is not my mother Reginald." And she turned her back to him and resumed her reading.

Reginald sighed and went back to his chambers. Mary didn't care what he told Margaret Pole. She was not going to call her mother. She pretended to be her mother since she was a month old. Mary knew for a fact she wasn't. She looked nothing like her or any of her sons. Their hair was blond while hers was auburn and their scent was also different. They were Lycans and although Mary possessed some Lycan qualities she knew she was different from them.

She closed her book and went to her bed. She blew her candle and hugged her leather diary. Books brought her comfort but this book was special because it was her own book. Her own story.

She shifted uncomfortably in the sheets and moaned. She felt very cold. She opened her eyes and felt a colder wind coming from outside.

Mary blinked. She didn't remember leaving the window opened. She closed it down and as she was about to turn her back she noticed something shiny on the floor. "What's this?"

It was a rosary, pearls and a golden cross encrusted with sapphires. They were the color of her eyes. She giggled. It was more beautiful than any present Margaret Pole had ever given her. She put it on and went back to sleep, feeling suddenly comfortable.


End file.
